Page 59 of The Billionaire's Seduction Revenge

“And what makes you think I don’t live here?”

He laughed. “Nice try.”

“What? I’m not lying,” she said bravely, tilting her chin defiantly.

“What a pity for you that I happened along. You see, little thief, I know the owner, and you are not him.”

Her heart kicked up a gear. Was he making this up? No. This made more sense. Her brain quickly fired to connect the dots. He’d tried the front door, using a code, but she’d changed the code when she’d come to stay. But then, she’d told Benji, so if he’d sent this man here, why not give him the new entry digits? And why send him at all when she was in situ?

“If Benji wanted you here, he’d have given you the code to the front door.”

Now the man grew very still, his eyes watchful, dark and intent as they trapped hers. “You know Benji?” The words were cautious, as though he didn’t yet believe her.

“He’s my cousin,” she said crisply, injecting the words with as much hauteur as she could muster when she had what felt like a hundred kilograms of man muscle pressed against her. “And he offered for me to stay here after—,” the words died on her lips. “Recently,” she said instead, blinking away, the accident one she still grappled to come to terms with. She was lucky it hadn’t been worse. A fall like that could have cracked her femur, or even her tailbone.

“He’s my friend,” the man said. “And he made the same offer to me.”

Her lips parted. Surely this wasn’t some kind of set up. “I don’t believe it. Not when he knew I was here.”

“No,” the man sounded reluctant. “Some time ago,” Leonidas admitted. “It was a standing invitation. I left him a message that I was coming here tonight. He didn’t tell you?”

“There’s no cell service and I haven’t checked my emails,” she said, moving now, her pulse firing as his body continued to weigh down on hers. Rather than removing his grip from her wrists, he moved his thumb to softly pad her flesh, sending sparks of electricity through her body.

“How do you know him?” She asked as an afterthought, realizing she’d be some kind of fool to rely completely on this stranger’s word.

“We were at school together.”

“Oh.” Was he serious? “Which school?”

Without hesitation, Leonidas answered correctly.

“Well, that information’s on the internet. Tell me something no one else would know about Benji.”

“Or you’ll tie me up?” He asked, moving his body now, as a reminder to her that she was still very much his captive.

A pulse began to hammer between her legs, shattering her sense of concentration. She bit down on her lip to stifle a moan from escaping.

“I’m just lulling you into a false sense of security.”

“Consider me lulled.”

It was obviously not the case. His body was tense, his frame harder than steel. His muscular conditioning was impressive.

“I’m waiting,” she replied, her voice trembling a little as she tried to remember that she was here by invitation and it wasn’t yet entirely clear that he was.

“For someone who’s got her back against the wall, you’re strangely demanding.”

“Is that a problem?”

“It’s interesting,” he supplied instead.

“I’m glad I can amuse you.”

“I didn’t say that.”

“You’re not amused?”

“No, little thief, far from it. I’m many things tonight, but amused is not one of them.”

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